York teen headed to U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship

Julianne Lee, 14, lands a spot at U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship

Julianne Lee hits her ball out of a sand trap on the 17th hole Tuesday during the York County Junior Golf Association's season opener at Cool Creek Golf Club in Hellam Township. (Paul Kuehnel — Daily Record/Sunday News)

Defending York County Junior Golf Association champ Julianne Lee isn't even in high school yet.

Maryland is the farthest she has ever traveled for a golf tournament.

Next month, however, she will travel to the other side of the United States for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship. Lee, who will golf as a freshman this fall for Central York High School, qualified for the USGA event in Dupont, Wash., by playing what she thought was her best round of golf.

She shot a 77 two weeks ago during a qualifying tournament at Penn State.

"It made me really happy," the soft-spoken Lee said. "We had to hurry up because there's a timer on each hole."

Julianne Lee walks across a bridge Tuesday at Cool Creek Golf Club. Last year on the York County Junior Golf Association Tour, Lee won the girls' championship while she pushed her golf bag in a cart. This year, she is carrying it — on her way to a the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship next month in Dupont, Wash. (Paul Kuehnel — Daily Record/Sunday News)

She had never experienced a challenge like that one on the Blue Course in State College. The event was a blur, she said, but she finished just two shots behind Elyse Archambault, a Penn State golfer. Two shots behind Lee was Jacqueline Shelly, another college student from Florida Atlantic. All three will head to the USGA tournament — two college golfers and a 14-year-old.

Lee acknowledged: "I heard it's going to be really hard. Two days are going to be a normal round and then there's going to be match play."

This women's amateur will be conducted for the last time July 14-19. The USGA will replace it next year with an amateur four-ball championship. The public links championship has a history that dates back to 1977 and includes former champions such as Michelle Wie.

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Lee would like to see herself as a pro some day, and qualifying for her first big event brings a smile to her face.

"It made me really happy because it's my first time doing that tournament," she said.

Lee might come across as shy. YCJGA director Shane Stell said she is polite and kind, but focused on her game.

That is where Lee does her talking.

She spent the last two summers turning heads on the YCJGA tour, winning her first match-play championship from defending title-holder Morgan Wirtz last June. Wirtz golfed with Lee on Tuesday during their YCJGA Tour opener at Cool Creek Golf Course in Hellam Township.

"I remember when I first started playing with her. She was in the 80s constantly," said Wirtz, who's about 4 years older and headed to Stevenson University to golf this fall. "Last year she started playing in the 70s."

Getting to see Lee up close during their junior tour, Wirtz said Lee pays more attention to where she places the ball with each shot. If a fairway has a slope, Wirtz noticed Lee takes more time to adjust.

"She's just gotten very good course management," Wirtz said.

"I think once you understand the course management, that's when you start hitting the low numbers."

Looking back on when she started as a 9-year-old, Lee said, "I would shoot like a 120-something" as her face scrunched up.

Her developing strategy to the game isn't just limited to swinging the clubs, either. She also changed the way she carries them.

Last year, Lee pushed her golf bag in a cart during YCJGA events.

"My bag was really heavy," she said. "I had to pull some things out to make it easier, so I wouldn't be tired."

She threw away old gloves and broken balls, which were among the items she admitted to cramming in her bag. Pushing the bag would not be viable much longer. As Spring Grove's Victoria Ross said, golfers must carry their bags in high school. Ross, who won the last two YAIAA girls' titles in the fall, said she is looking forward to a possible rivalry with Lee on the high school links.

"Oh yeah," she said. "I can't wait."

The boys are taking notice, too.

"I've seen her scores and I'm really excited she's going to be on our team," Central York's Gus Minkin said. "We could do really well next year."